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The Conclave: A Sometimes Secret and Occasionally Bloody History of Papal Elections

2 Ratings: 4.0

A book by Michael Walsh

Prominent Catholic historian Walsh takes readers through the history of conclaves past, highlighting the vendettas, feuds, and poltical intrigues that have colored the selection of a new pontiff.

Tags: Books, History, Catholicism, Catholic Church, Popes, Vatican

Author: Michael Walsh

Publisher: Sheed & Ward

2 reviews about The Conclave: A Sometimes Secret and Occasionally...

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review by Cascadian. April 01, 2005

A whirlwind, and now perhaps quite timely, survey

Michael Walsh's summary history of papal elections moves remarkably quickly: 2,000 years in under 200 pages. Popes are chosen, only to die quickly -- sometimes in the very next sentence. So this is not in any sense a history of the papacy. The author has focused his attention quite narrowly, and for general readers looking for an introduction to this interesting and timely topic, he has succeeded admirably. Walsh's text emphasizes the changing dynamics involved in papal elections … more

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review by frankiethek. December 01, 2003

posted in Cafe Libri: Reviewing Books & More

"We have a Pope!"

This is a short book, which is unfortunate, given the period of time that it covers: all of the papal elections from the beginning of the Church until the present. Because of the timeline, and the books lack of length, everything is really compressed, and the reader only gets the barest sense of what happened during many of these elections, particularly in the very early days. That's not actually a bad thing, for it certainly whets the appetite of the interested reader to delve further into period … more

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